Thankfully, black sea bass season reopens on Saturday and runs through Dec. 31, with a 15-fish bag limit and a 12.5-inch minimum. I say thankfully because with fluke season in the rearview mirror, anglers can finally get out after quantity of fish once again, not to mention quality of fish as some boats exploring the inshore wrecks have released sea bass up to 5 pounds. Bass, bluefish, blackfish and kingfish are holding up the action inshore as well.

“The bass action is definitely picking up for the boat anglers,” reported Andy Grossman, Riptide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine. “Joe Jr. was up early to work the sod banks and had five bass to 30 inches. The good thing was that two of the fish had sea lice on them, which is telling us that they are fish traveling in the ocean (most likely migrating fish), letting us know they are on the move.” Eleven-year-old Michael Lakes was drifting eels in the backwaters with his dad on The Wet Willie and they landed three stripers to 13 pounds. Grossman also reported that a monster 45.6-pound striped bass was caught off Margate Beach and was weighed in at Captain Andy’s in Margate.

“Back bay fishing is still about the bluefish, though they are now a bit larger up to 2 pounds,” said Justin Schenker, Fin-Atics Bait and Tackle, Ocean City. “Some new things happening are that they are catching big kingfish off the O.C. fishing pier, some of which are over 16 inches.” Bloodworms have been the best baits at the pier and surrounding surf. Blackfishing has been a day-to-day affair, where the bite is on or off, you just have to hit it right. The 9th Street Bridge and O.C./Longport pier have both been top tog spots. Striper hounds have been up inside the Great Egg River to drift live eels along the channels and bass to 26 inches are being hooked on a regular basis.

“I’d say the best thing going here in Sea Isle is the early morning striper fishing,” said Mike Cunningham, Sea Isle Bait and Tackle, Sea Isle City. “Its all about that predawn early morning shift and using artificials like the Atom or Gibbs poppers against the sodbanks. Some guys are getting four to six fish up to 30 inches long each morning popping the banks.” Cunningham also states that the night-shift guys are finding bass on the take as well, but on offerings such as a blurple SP Minnow, Zooms and Zman plastics instead. Word has it that bass are gravitating to the jetties out front too, as the sunrise hours have been best to cast poppers against the rocks with the 30 streets and 80 streets supposedly hot spots. Bluefish in the 1- to 2-pound range are still a dime a dozen, especially in the Townsend’s Inlet area, with mullet still the top bait. Wreck fishermen should be champing at the bit to get out at sea bass this weekend as Cunningham states, “Guys have been absolutely bailing triggerfish on the inshore wrecks. I don’t know why they are still hanging around, I guess the waters are really warm out there. But there has also been a lot of sea bass to 4 pounds coming up on those inshore wrecks, and now guys will be able to keep them.” Tautog hunters can try off the rocks on the Avalon side of the Townsend’s Inlet to find blackies on the bite. Cunningham will have both fresh and salted clams in stock for this weekend’s sea bass opener.

“Tog fishing seems to be improving with more and more keepers both at the TI bridge and 8th Street Jetty,” said Tammy Carbohn, Avalon Hodge Podge, Avalon. Cindy S. of Avalon weighed in a 4.5-pound tog caught on green crabs at the bridge and she also released several smaller fish during that trip. Carbohn also notes that there are still lots of blues to be found up and down the Avalon beach front as well as the back bay.

Some really cool news came from Matt Slobodjian, Jim’s Bait and Tackle, Cape May. “Redfish are showing up on the Cape May Beach Front. The best bite has been in the morning on chunks of mullet, but some have been taken on lures as well.” Redfish are kind of an anomaly in Jersey waters but are known to trickle up into the southern part of the state in recent years. If you catch a redfish, know that there is actually a one-fish limit with a slot between 18 and 27 inches to keep. Small bluefish are also attacking mullet baits at the Point. Offshore, Slobodjian hears that the weeds are still bad in the canyons and the main bite seemed to be dolphin, but didn’t hear of any good tuna bite locally. A few wahoo have moved into the 30 Fathom line area, especially around the Tea Cup and India Arrow Wreck. Reports also came in of some bluefin tuna along the 20 Fathom line on trolled ballyhoo/Ilander baits.

Nick Honachefsky is a professional fishing writer that focuses on angling up and down the coast of New Jersey. He can be reached at beachnut33@hotmail.com.